I have four Raspberry Pis running in my shack right now. Each does something different. Total cost across all four: maybe $200 including cases and SD cards. The functionality they replaced would cost $1,500+ in dedicated commercial equipment.

The Pi is arguably the most impactful piece of technology to hit ham radio in the last decade. Here's what you can actually do with one.

1. DMR/D-STAR/Fusion Hotspot

What: A personal digital voice gateway. Your handheld talks to the Pi over RF; the Pi connects to DMR/D-STAR/Fusion networks via internet.

Parts:

  • Raspberry Pi Zero 2W (~$15)
  • MMDVM hat board (~$30-50)
  • Antenna (included with most hats)
  • MicroSD card + power supply

Software: Pi-Star or WPSD (free)

Result: Access Brandmeister, TGIF, D-STAR reflectors, and Fusion rooms from anywhere with WiFi. Change talkgroups from a web dashboard on your phone.

This was my first Pi project. Took 45 minutes from unboxing to first DMR QSO. The setup wizard handles everything. If you do DMR, this is borderline mandatory unless you live next to a repeater.

2. FT8/Digital Modes Station

What: A dedicated computer running WSJT-X for FT8, FT4, and other digital modes.

Parts:

  • Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB) (~$55)
  • USB cable to radio (or Digirig/SignaLink)
  • Monitor or VNC for headless operation

Software: WSJT-X, JS8Call, fldigi (all have ARM builds)

Result: A dedicated always-on FT8 station that doesn't require your main computer. Leave it running, check spots on your phone via VNC.

I switched my FT8 station from a Windows laptop to a Pi 4 two years ago. Never looked back. It runs 24/7 on about 5 watts of power. The laptop sits free for other tasks.

Performance note: Pi 4 handles WSJT-X decoding fine. Pi 3 struggles with heavy band activity. Don't bother with a Pi Zero for this — not enough CPU.

3. APRS iGate

What: Receives APRS packets on 144.390 MHz and feeds them to the internet (aprs.fi).

Parts:

  • Raspberry Pi (any model)
  • RTL-SDR dongle (~$30) OR a spare 2m radio
  • 2m antenna

Software: Direwolf (software TNC/modem)

Result: Your station contributes to APRS infrastructure. Every packet you gate helps track mobile stations, digipeaters, and weather stations in your area.

My iGate runs on a Pi Zero W with an RTL-SDR. Cost $50 total. It's been running for 18 months — I forget it exists until I check aprs.fi and see my station receiving 200+ unique stations daily.

4. ADS-B Flight Tracker

What: Receives 1090 MHz aircraft transponder signals. Plots every plane within 200 nautical miles.

Parts:

  • Raspberry Pi
  • RTL-SDR with 1090 MHz filter (RTL-SDR Blog kit has one)
  • 1090 MHz antenna (DIY from a tin can or buy a $20 stub)

Software: dump1090-mutability, tar1090 (web interface)

Result: Live flight radar for your area. Access via web browser on any device. Feed data to FlightAware for a free premium account.

Not strictly ham radio, but every ham I know with an RTL-SDR has set this up at some point. It's the "hello world" of SDR.

What: Turns a Pi into a VoIP-linked repeater node. Connect your local repeater to the worldwide Allstar or EchoLink network.

Parts:

  • Raspberry Pi 3/4
  • USB sound card (CM108 chipset)
  • Radio interface cable
  • A spare radio

Software: ASL (Allstar Link) or svxlink

Result: Link repeaters, create private talk channels, build a portable linked node for events.

6. WSPR Beacon Monitor

What: Monitors WSPR (Weak Signal Propagation Reporter) frequencies 24/7. Reports decoded beacons to wsprnet.org.

Parts:

  • Raspberry Pi
  • RTL-SDR (or a dedicated receiver)
  • HF antenna

Software: WSJT-X in WSPR mode, or wsprd standalone decoder

Result: Continuous propagation data from your QTH. Compare band openings over weeks and months. The global WSPR network depends on stations like this.

7. Remote Station Server

What: Control your home station remotely over the internet.

Parts:

  • Raspberry Pi 4
  • USB connection to radio
  • Audio interface

Software: RemoteHams, or just VNC + WSJT-X/fldigi

Result: Operate your home HF station from work, from vacation, from anywhere with internet. I've run my IC-7300 from a hotel room 500 miles away using VNC and a Pi.

Latency is the challenge. For FT8/digital — zero issues. For SSB voice — workable but not perfect. For CW — mostly fine at moderate speeds.

8. Weather Station + APRS WX

What: A Pi-powered weather station that reports conditions via APRS.

Parts:

  • Raspberry Pi
  • BME280 sensor (temp/humidity/pressure) ~$8
  • Anemometer kit (optional, ~$30-50)
  • 2m radio or internet gateway

Software: WeeWX or custom Python script + Direwolf

Result: Your weather station appears on aprs.fi and CWOP. Local hams (and anyone checking APRS maps) see real-time weather at your location.

9. Logging Server

What: Centralized ham radio log accessible from any device.

Parts:

  • Raspberry Pi (any)

Software: CloudLog (web-based logging application)

Result: Log contacts from your phone, tablet, laptop, or dedicated PC. All go to one database. Auto-upload to LoTW, QRZ, eQSL on schedule.

I run CloudLog on the same Pi that does FT8. Access it from my phone during POTA activations. Syncs everything when I get home.

10. Packet Radio BBS

What: Run a packet radio bulletin board system, old-school style.

Parts:

  • Raspberry Pi
  • 2m radio
  • Sound card interface (or TNC)

Software: LinBPQ, Direwolf

Result: A local packet BBS that other stations can connect to, leave messages, forward mail. 1980s technology on modern hardware. Still active in some areas.

Honestly this one's more nostalgia project than practical utility in 2024. But if your local packet community exists, it's fun to be part of the infrastructure.

Hardware Tips

Pi selection:

  • Pi Zero 2W: hotspots, iGates, single-task lightweight jobs
  • Pi 3B+: most ham applications with moderate CPU needs
  • Pi 4 (4GB): FT8 decoding, remote operation, CloudLog, anything multi-tasking
  • Pi 5: overkill for most ham applications, but future-proof

SD card: Buy quality (SanDisk Extreme or Samsung EVO). Cheap cards corrupt. I've lost two projects to failed SD cards. Now I image every working card as a backup.

Power: Use the official power supply or a quality 5V 3A USB-C supply. Underpowered Pis show a lightning bolt icon and behave erratically. If your Pi is unstable, check power first.

Case with fan: Anything CPU-intensive (WSJT-X decoding) makes a Pi 4 throttle without cooling. A $5 heatsink + fan case fixes it permanently.

Pick One and Start

If you've never touched a Pi: start with the DMR hotspot. Straightforward build, immediate payoff, and you'll learn the basics (flashing SD cards, SSH access, web dashboards) that apply to every other project.

If you already have a Pi: what's it doing right now? Probably collecting dust. Pick project #2 or #3 and give it a job this weekend.